Devos 365

Genesis 27:1-40 http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis+27%3A1-40/ We’ve all heard of (and probably experienced) sibling rivalry. Every family, no matter how much they look like the Cleavers or the Bradys, (for those of you old enough to remember Leave It to Beaver or The Brady Bunch – like me) has its squabbles between the children. And we can all probably relate stories within our own extended families of fights over money and inheritance. It can get very ugly, very quickly sometimes. Our story for today contains just such a family struggle. A few days ago, we recognized that the Isaac/Rebekah family had some serious dysfunction going on as Isaac chose to favor Esau and Rebekah chose to favor Jacob. And of course, these twins were born fighting. That this story should come along is really no surprise to anyone. It’s time for dad’s vast wealth to be given to the next generation and the battle ensues. We’ve already seen Esau sell his birthright to Jacob for a bow...

Genesis 26:12-35 http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis+26%3A12-35/ There are really only 3 stories told of Isaac in Genesis. He’s the guy in the middle, between Abraham and Jacob. While we may not know much of his story what we do know all points in the same direction. He was a fairly peaceable guy. When Abraham is called upon by God to sacrifice his son, we find that Isaac doesn’t fight what appears to be the end of his life. He is compliant. In today’s reading, Isaac goes to great lengths to live peacefully with his neighbor, Abimelech. When the Philistines fill in his wells, he doesn’t retaliate, he just re-digs them. When water becomes a problem between his family and the Philistines, he moves to a new location. Never do we see him take up arms. And woven throughout the story Isaac just gets richer and richer. God blesses him in a big way; so much so that Abimelech is scared of him and makes a treaty with him rather than take up arms. That Abimelech was a smart guy! ...

Genesis 26:1-11 1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebe...

Genesis 25:19-34 19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau [hairy] . 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’...